Senseless and Merciless - Mary Burton
Got them on recommendations from AAR readers who lauded their suspense while noting that they are short on romance. I have to agree that as suspense novels they are gripping and I enjoyed them throughly. ..... However, they are a bit dark and not for the squeamish and I suspect I won't want to re-read them.

I love Mary Burton. She's the most recent author I've added to my suspense list. Just enough romance and suspense in combination for me. Since I have never re-read a suspense book (I think because the shock has already been taken away), not wanting to re-read it would not be a swaying factor for me. But it's fun to try new authors; I too tried her because of a couple of recs on these boards.

Last edited by Tee on Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:39 am; edited 1 time in total

This is Regin's book, who often is the comic relief within the IAD. While it was a good book, it was not as humorous as I would expect. Then again, Regin is held captive and tortured for most of the book. Not so ha ha.
Still, even though somewhat disappointing, Cole's books are still my favorite paranormals.

Agree with CharlotteJ that this was better than some of her recent books, certainly better than Chasing Fire. I was quite happy with The Search but for those who got bogged down with the dog training details, you can rest assured that there are no similar expositions in this one.

What I liked - use of language to show Abigail's isolation from normal social interactions with her age group. Loving depiction of a small town without corresponding vilification of a big city. Appreciation of the normal and everyday by both parties. By Abigail who had never had it and by Brooks who had always had it but not been concioiusly aware of it.

Have already re-read parts of it...._________________When in doubt, read.

Cohen's an autobuy author for me, but I was a little ambivalent about her last book: I think I sympathised with the wrong character. This book, however, I really enjoyed.
There was just so much to like about it: the heroine is a writer who gets a summer job acting as an historical reenactor at a local Regency house - she's writing a blog and a column for a magazine about the experience. And while that's really interesting - what she has to wear, what the visitors are like, how she finds the right angle to blog about it - the author hasn't put her there so she can make the occasional Mr Darcy reference - it ties into the themes of the book - dealing with the past, and escaping from reality.
And the backstory is very nicely done - the author indicates the shape of it, but credits the reader with enough intelligence and imagination to fill in the details.

I came to it without knowing anything much about it - it's a good way to read this book: I wasn't even sure who the hero was for half the story. (I've been wrong-footed by Cohen before with the hero.) You find about the heroine gradually: I think a careless review could spoil the slow reveal.
I need to reread a book a couple of times before I'm sure what I think of it: but my initial impression is that it's Cohen's best book to date.

MMcA: thank you for your post about JC's book and that you thoughtfully avoided spoilers.

I haven't read anything by her so far but wanted for a long time now. I decided to start with this one, especially because it's this year's release and I can use it in the annual poll (very few inspiring options this year).

I checked our library system and - oh miracle - there are 6 copies of this book and 25 holds so I put it on hold.

Last year in London we were on two tours guided by actors reanacting the Henry VIII's courtiers (at Hampton Court Palace) and a housekeeper in a middle-class Victorian house (House of a Punch cartoonist Linley Sambourne, remarkably well-preserved and with original house decorations and furniture).

I've read three of Sandra Dallas' recent books and have loved them. This one is no exception. She writes of strong women in tough times and their tenacity to endure while strengthening ties with other women. Best book I've read in a while, but it is not a romance by any means. She herself is not Mormon, but writes of one of the treks the Mormon emigrants took across America to arrive in Salt Lake City from England. Quite frankly, I had the book in hand before I read the synopsis, since I'm not sure I would have picked it up. But for lack of anything else to read, I opened to the first page. She has a way of pulling you into her stories and it's done with simple writing. Excellent book.

Maybe it was reading during a thunderstorm that did it, but I loved this book. Set in the 1920s in England, a young woman who's scraping by working for a temp agency gets a call to help a ghost hunter with a ghost who hates men. Actually, the ghost hates just about everyone and with good reason. There's a very gothic feel to the book, the ghost is frightening but well thought-out, not just "boo" scary. The heroine is lonely, her love interest is deeply scarred by the war (inside and out) and the plot never drags. very fun read.

Thank you so much for posting this! I always at least take a look at books you recommend (I tend to love anything you endorse ) and this is no exception. I loved, loved, loved it. It is so sad we have to wait till next year for the next book from this author.

I know I'm late to the fair on this one, but since this book was on so many favorite lists I decided to hold it for a rainy day, so to say, for when I needed a sure-fire book to break a slump. And boy, did it do the job. I loved Harriet and Gideon themselves, and I loved how their relationship grew throughout the book. Sure feels like a future comfort read to me.

I confess I've only read one other Quick book (The Paid Companion), but after some looking around I'm thinking about reading these books next: Seduction, Surrender, Rendezvous, and Late to the Wedding--and then perhaps Desire, Dangerous and Reckless.

I know I'm late to the fair on this one, but since this book was on so many favorite lists I decided to hold it for a rainy day, so to say, for when I needed a sure-fire book to break a slump. And boy, did it do the job. I loved Harriet and Gideon themselves, and I loved how their relationship grew throughout the book. Sure feels like a future comfort read to me.

I confess I've only read one other Quick book (The Paid Companion), but after some looking around I'm thinking about reading these books next: Seduction, Surrender, Rendezvous, and Late to the Wedding--and then perhaps Desire, Dangerous and Reckless.

Does anyone have any advice or opinions for this Quick late-comer?

Late to the Wedding is a third in a trilogy; I recommend that you read 1) Slightly Shady and 2) Don't Look Back before that one. Desire and Mystique are set in the Middle Ages.

My favorite Quick books are Seduction, Surrender, Rendevous, Deception, and Mistress. I have enjoyed all of AQ's books, as well as those of her alter egos, Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle.

As long as you stick with titles published before 2006 you will avoid her paranormals. While I enjoy her Arcane Society books and the new series she's started this year, they are not everyone's cup of tea. And I do sometimes with she'd go back to writing non-paranormal books.

Her Vanza books are only loosly connected, so can be read out of order (I Thee Wed, Wicked Widow, Lie by Moonlight). Her Lavina Lake & Tobia March books (Slightly Shady, Don't Look Back, Late for the Wedding) all feature the same h/h and should be read in order as Kay suggested.

Mary Balogh, The Proposal. There are some plot elements borrowed from other books she has written, but a good solid B nevertheless.

I also read the e-ARC of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Dragon Ship from Baen Publishing (4th in a YA series set in their Liaden world, after Fledgling, Saltation, and Ghost Ship). It's sf, basically no romance at all, but moves the plot arc along nicely. A- for me.

I picked it up after reading the review on Dear Author. Unfortunately, the review was more gripping than the book itself. On the surface, it had all the ingredients I normally like: interesting characters, untraditional setting, tension, reunion - I don't know how you can ruin a book like that, but the author managed to do it for me. The writing was ok, but I just couldn't connect with the h/h at all. Oh, and the kid was totally unrealistic and supremely annoying. I guess it's one more author whose backlist I won't be checking out.

Mary Balogh, The Proposal. There are some plot elements borrowed from other books she has written, but a good solid B nevertheless.

I also read the e-ARC of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Dragon Ship from Baen Publishing (4th in a YA series set in their Liaden world, after Fledgling, Saltation, and Ghost Ship). It's sf, basically no romance at all, but moves the plot arc along nicely. A- for me.

I also just finished the Dragon Ship eARC - also an A- read for me. I had forgotten that the new Balogh was due out... just finished downloading it for my Sony! Thanks for the reminder!

As for recent reading:

Laura Griffin - Twisted - I would give it a B-

Edge of your seat suspense - not a lot of time spent on the romance; I had a bit of trouble seeing any depth or development beyond the initial attraction between the H/h. Liked a lot of the secondary characters, especially the brief scenes that included Jordan and Lauren._________________When in doubt, read.

Is it just me, but it seems that her new Regency series is a a bit of a rehash of her popular Fallen Angels? No Less Than a Lady reminded me strongly of Shattered Rainbows while this one brings to mind Petals in the Storm and One Perfect Rose. Unfortunately, it lacked the trademark intensity present in her better books.

On a plus side, the heroine wasn't a virgin and actually enjoyed sex without love (gasp!) and the hero was much more lovable than Rafe from the Fallen Angels.

That said, I wish MJP could continue her adult paranormals or maybe switched to another time period. I feel that her heart is no longer in the straight regency historicals.